I agree bail out of poorly run, inefficient business must not take place. Federal Ministers have said no money for US based auto makers until wage concessions to equal cost of labour of Japaneese based companies.
The CAW concessions were a joke. There was no concessions at all. Like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Governments do not need to bail out anyone. Tax cuts are the most efficient way to get monies into the hands of taxpayers who will stimulate the economy the right way.
It makes me sick to think that the bail out (if it happens) will likely go to shore up the workers bloated pension fund. How will that stimulate the economy or help GM survive ? These guys are fat pigs who have been paid too much for too long. They need to be brought down to realistic pay for the little they do.

As long as I can remember we have always been talking about less government but it never happens. Each party knows that none of the other parties will ever offer it then keep their word so they only have to give it lip service with never any intention of doing anything.

This is a great thing to promote. Its all common sense.

Dear friends,
excellent campaign. I agree it is about time that big government is brought back to reasonable levels. The Feds should not meddle in the jurisdictions of the provinces (they never do for Quebec) so they could reduce their staff considerably.
Federal Transfer Payments to the “have not provinces” should be reduced to a level where the standard of living “gurantee” is 75 % rather than 100%. Let the “underemployed Easterners” move where the jobs are and not sit at home and draw EI payments for much longer than the average Canadians do!
Regards
Jakob Knaus

There is talk of adding more than 30 seats in the Commons to more equitably distribute representation there. This is a good place to start cutting. Why in the world do we need 30 more bodies sitting there doing very little for their pay?

Another bone of contention is the idea that taxpayers pay political parties based on their votes in the last election. I as a taxpayer am contributing to the Bloc Quebecois!! Let the parties raise money from their supporters. If it wasn’t for taxpayer money the Bloc would be broke!

The firearms licensing is useless, expensive, intrusive, insulting, and another example of the State harassing law-abiding people. Get rid of the whole mess.

It is the least that the MP’s and MPP’s can do (if they arew wise) 5% across the board is not much to them individually, but it is a loy in total, but they would probably sneak it out another way, anyway.
All the cost reducing ideas are excellant and necessary.
Reducing corporate and income tax would be more benificail than giving away money to faiing companies who will likely fail completely in the near future.
Tax reductions would be like giving money to successful companies who will surely re-invest creating permanent jobs.
Reducing regulations (red tape) & fees would also be encouraging.
My bet is the auto makers will get their bailout due to union pressure on the government.

The 5% pay cut that the NCC recommends is hardly enough. Let’s face it: (i) the auto unions have already agreed to a cut of at least 10% in their forward wages and benefits; (ii) hundreds of thousands of people in Canada have already lost their jobs, … and more lay-offs are in the works; (iii) millions of Canadians have lost immense asset values, maybe 30% to 60% of their former RRSP’s and investment portfolios; and (iv) property values are down across Canada anywhere from 10% to 25%.

Given this background of unfortunate happenings in the economy, it is time for Governments at all three levels to not only retrench on their forward growth, but also to cut their future payroll costs (namely wages, salaries, benefits and perks) by at least 20%. This would substantially reduce the costs of all levels of Government and enable forward progress in the economy without further imminent tax increases on John Q Public. To those Civil Servants and elected Politicians who do not like this resolution, I merely say “let them resign and quit” being in public service.

What about the $10 billion spent annually on the Department of Indian affairs [INAC] and how 86% is eaten up by administration, with very little of the remaining funds getting to the “rank and file” native.
How can INAC spend $175 million on a by-back of the commercial fishing fleet on the BC coast, when the wild salmon stocks are almost extinct. This same practice was tried some years ago, with zero ongoing benefit.
To reduce the Politicians pay scale by at least 5 %, should also include the bloated pay-checks that bureaucracy receives. Bureaucracy are basically running government and has, for many years with most of the money derived from taxation paying this economic cancer.

This initiative is in keeping with the very roots of this organization, and is precisely why I joined the NCC in the first place. Bravo!

The campaign is good and long overdue, and I think a sustained effort has to be made at a major reform of our too many governments and their civil services. With respect to civil servants at all levels (and not just the politicians), there should be a graduated 20-30% cut to their salaries and benefits to bring them in line with comparables in the private sector, a termination of bonuses of any sort, the ending of civil service unions of all types, absolutely no government guarantees (or bailouts) to civil service pension plans, and a reduction in civil service pension benefits themselves.

I support your campaign. What percentage of the population will it reach?

Why not get rid of wll the wastefull spending the govrnment does on big ticket programs like the wastefull 2 Billion + gun registry that’s been absolutly useless for solving any crimes

In the age of instant communications (cellphones, fax, internet, etc.) and jet travel, why do we need palatial embassies in every country in the world? And do we really need thousands of consulates all over the globe? Shut them down. If warm bodies are necessary it would be far cheaper to send one or two envoys to resolve problems in foreign lands that require a human presence; and have them stay in a 3-star hotels until the situation is either resolved, or an impasse sends them back to Canada.

Embassies were a diplomatic necessity in an age when it took took weeks or even months to reach many foreign destinations, and this includes communications. This is no longer the case. What is the annual cost to maintain and staff these “palaces” and swanky offices? And just what do they do besides hold inter-embassy cocktail parties?

Multiculturism is destroying Canada and should be stopped. It is encouraging other cultures to continue their hatred for each other here in Canada with our money and help.

Bilingualism is an expensive way to appease French-Canadians. It costs a lot of money and has no effect.

The Human Rights Commission should be curtailed and their mandate restricted.

This is Canada EH!!! LOL I’ve been listening to this rhetoric for 4 decades and nothing has changed because the Canadian public are sheeple and weak…

1. The first goal regarding MP salaries, perks and pensions is ridiculous. We’re talking billions here and saving a million or so on this stuff is grandstanding nonsense. Grow up and say something sensible.

2. If you want to cut government expenditures, then cut them. Don’t shift it onto the bureaucracy. Have the gumption to say no to popular government programs.

3. Yes, finally some sense. Stop the bailouts. But when the Conservatives tried to do this they faced defeat in the face of an unholy alliance of Canadian business, the chattering classes, the media, the Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc. Lets face it, Canada is not a conservative country. You can’t get elected with this stuff. Call for it, yes, but don’t hold your breath.

I agree with everything you say.
But let’s get real: you are dreaming in technicolour!
SH is a former pres. of the NCC for crying out loud, but is there anybody who believes that this is the same guy?

I am going to start right now with NOT throwing away money, because I firmly predict NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE.. MOST THE OF MP’s, cabinet ministers and top civil servants have their snouts so deep in to the trough that they are blinded to common sense. Sorry for being sceptical, but this time I have better places to put my money.

Who, among those who see themselves as being associated with NCC in some way could disagree with your “No Big Government” campaign?

The problem is, to accomplish this goal requires a majority view in parliament which these days means a majority Conservative government. Does anyone really think that any dogmatic Liberal, NDP or Bloc supporters would let this happen?

So how do we get there? The only way is for every living, breathing voter, who agrees with this premise, to put away their swords on pet issues concerning which they don’t think PM Harper has been “right” enough, eg, income trusts, stimulus spending, accountability, elected senate, fixed election dates, crime legislation, etc, etc, whatever. It’s like staying home & not voting for John Tory in Kawartha because the PC voters liked their incumbent MPP who bailed on them to let Tory run. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Do you think PM Harper is happy having to succumb to the indignities his preferred platform must face?

So full-time & part-time righties: you want this NCC plan to win? Put away your unrealistic ideology, realize that Harper in a minority is better than the Coalition or Liberals in a minority, bite your tongue on your pet issues that Harper had to cave on to keep his Conservative minority and get off your butt and go to the polls whenever necessary.

Simple. If there aren’t enough of us, then ramp up the anti-left rhetoric to match the decibel level coming from the Libs & Dippers and hope like hell enough swing-voters will catch the wave.

I entirely agree with what you are trying to do, but what really upsets me are the damned 44 Crown Corporations that are so corrupt and costly to the Canadian taxpayers. Athough we own them, we know next to nothing about them because they, like private corporations, cannot be publicly audited. If Sheila Fraser could get to audit these companies Canadians would learn where billions of dollars are wasted - money that could be used for health care for all of us.

Correct me if im wrong. Ex ON Premier Mike Harris and all MPPs reduced their pay until the deficit was retired. This is great leadership but when Harris then upped the salaries, some letters to the editor suggested that all they do is raise their pay. Wake up folks because you missed the initial cuts.

I like this proposal from NCC. However IF Harper et al are to even mention forced bilingual language cuts, (just like Arts funding cuts), Conservatives would be doomed by Liberal scare tactics so lets not go there.

With the auto sector and their short term vision thinking, they certainly do not deserve bailouts. We have been down this road before and why should my money be paid to keep high management employed with their lack of foresight. Not all of them, but you get the picture. At the same time, small businesses and their employees do not get the coverage as the big employers do. Collectively, small businesses are the backbone of this great nation.

Your message of saying no to big government should be directed to the public with specific blame going to the opposition. They are the ones, I believe that have forced the Harper government to do what they are doing.

IT is a terrific campaign idea.
In the meantime, I sent to you ten days or so ago a booklet about Direct Democracy. I had hoped you might feel it appropriate to publish it - after necessary editing of course. I have not heard from anyone about it. It was to the attention of the “executive director”. May I, as a long-time member, if for no other reason, hear from someone about it.
Dick Tafel

There is one area in government where we should advocate growth: in Canada we lack an section in the Auditor General office where every policy announcement by government as well as political parties are fully quantified for costs. Furthermore, I would like from such an office a periodic review of every program for cost and effect. For example, why do some publications still get a postal subsidy which largely pays their magazine or newspaper mailing costs at a price level every one else paid 30 years ago? It is a program rooted in rural Canada needs and problems in the early 1900s but now Canada wide. Heritage Canada is the administrator. Phase it out. A 5% cut in MP entitlements I support. All ministers should set an examply with 10% so they have the moral high ground.

In my opinion, reducing the GST from 7% to 5% is the wrong approach. Given the amounts of most purchases people make in a year
this 2% is unlikly to increase their usual spending patterns. Hence, the inevitable increase in the national debt is difficult to justify. As individuals have to learn to live within their incomes, so should our governementsat all levels. Although Canadians seems to expect ever more government services, all parties, including the Provinces, should learn to say “NO” unless there is clear support for tax increases to pay for them.

The NNC has always stood for “More freedom through less government.”
Did the founders and successors, even in their wildest dreams, ever expect that a past- president of the NCC would become Canada’s Prime Minister? I don’t think so, but it DID happen! And where did it get us?
Nowhere. Stephen Harper has been a big disappointment, he has become “one of THEM.” The Winnipeg covention with an overwhelming majority voted to scrap S 13. Nothing happened. SH was the one who appointed Jennifer Lynch, head Kommissar of the CHRC who loves her jet-setting life on our dime. No wonder 40% of the voters did not show up in October,

Your campain won’t accomplish much until peiple realise who actually
pays the cost of government. We have two kinds of tax payers:those who
colect taxes for the government (oil companies,utilities,dentisys,accountants etc.), and those who truly pay
(manufactuers,processors,resources,farmers,pensioners,low income etc.)
The disparity is destoying our ability to compete,widening the gap between
haves and have-nots,turning more people to crime.